King of Pirates
by Bai Hikari Tsubasa
Summary: A merchant ship is stuck on an island infested with pirates and Ja'far found himself dealing with the most frustrating of them all - Sinbad. Sinja pirate AU
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: This was originally just a one-shot posted at "The King's Closet", but because someone wanted a second part to this and somehow it turned out longer than I thought, I'll be separating this into a short multi-chapter story of its own. ****Enjoy~**

_A ship has moored._

The watchman ran up the trail, delivering the message to the rest of the community. Excitement swept through the people as they heard the news. A ship was good luck. It meant more gold, more food and on occasion, women.

The people consisted of an array of rag-tags, from ex-prisoners to lonely sailors. As long as they sought the freedom of the seas, free from the fetters of society, they were welcomed into the family.

"My good men, we have guests to entertain tonight," the leader of the group announced, strolling through the mess of people. He plucked a chipped wine cup from a hand, raising it and taking a hearty swig. It wasn't excellent wine, more like a diluted cup of fruit juice to be precise, but it was all fine because they have new loot tonight.

The leader was none other than the infamous Sinbad, pirate king of the Seven Seas, a man as much a legend as reality. His name was passed around during dark nights to scare children to bed, echoed in taverns and bars to captivate local whores and uttered with vengeance amongst nobility who feared him.

But in reality, the rumors preceded his being. While Sinbad sailed the Seven Seas when he was still a mere cabin boy and was a smooth talker, he no longer traveled far once he earned his title as king of pirates, much less engage in constant sexual activities other than the occasional romps to satisfy a man's need.

There is a common misconception that pirates sail in large vessels, closing on hapless ships in the middle of the ocean and firing canons without abandon. But those were really just romanticized notions weaved by an overly active imagination. Because any decent pirate should know, sailing in the open ocean is as much risk for a pirate as it is for normal ships. There is always the danger of running out of stock whilst traveling, or being sunk to the ocean bed due to inclement weathers. And if these are not problems enough, there is always the issue of hiding and maintaining a large ship.

No, Sinbad may be an adventurer, but he was no fool. Rather than sail mindlessly on the seas, he had a base on a remote island, fringed by jagged coral reefs. The currents in the nearby waters were strong, constantly carrying to them smaller mercenary vessels that were inexperienced in navigating the area. The advantage of the current was that it wasn't strong enough to swing a large royal navy off course, so they wouldn't be expecting any unwelcomed military visitors. Mercenary ships, on the other hand, were notorious for their fragile builds, so it wouldn't come as a surprise if one or two went off course into unchartered areas and met their demise. Given the natural advantage, Sinbad's family was able to loot freely without being detected.

When a ship was brought off course by the waters, they usually come first to the island, believing that it was a safe haven. However, the open bay – the most easily accessible area for a large ship since other parts of the island were sharp cliff faces – was deceptively shallow. Once the ships moved into the area, they were almost always immediately grounded. The reefs were sturdy enough to paint holes in the bottom, forcing the ship to stay anchored for a few days at least.

That was when Sinbad's crew went into action. They wait until the dark of night before striking. Sometimes, when they were in a hurry, they would row their small rafts and sampans to the ship's flank, scale the side and attack the crews. In this aspect they were merciless, slaying any and everyone on the ship.

Except women. Women were good to have for a few nights, entertaining the deprived men. Sometimes if the woman proved to be of good use, she was added into the family as well. That was how Yamuraiha and Pisti came to be part of the bandits.

On occasions when the pirates were bored, they would toy with the crew members on the ship, thoroughly scaring them before slaughtering everyone. It all depended on the mood of their leader.

And today, Sinbad was feeling rather playful.

~oOo~

"Is the hull leaking?" "Get me more boards!"

Ja'far watched the crew mates scurrying about, trying to fix the mid-sized hole at the ship's bottom. He was a bodyguard and scribe of some sorts, sent to watch over his client's precious cargos. A strong gale had steered their ship off course, pushing it into unruly waters. The bay they spotted was lined with hard reefs, scrapping and damaging the bottom before they even neared its shore.

He casted a glance at the darkening sky. At this rate, they would have to stay the night.

The notion was quickly affirmed by the captain, who announced that the evening was too late for them to make any formal repairs. The fading light made it hard to see anything.

"Will we be staying on deck or going ashore?" Ja'far asked. He didn't fancy staying in the stuffy cabin more than necessary, but the island didn't seem inviting either.

"We'll stay aboard. This island isn't safe. I have heard that ships steering in these waters never come back all the time."

_Just peachy_. Ja'far snorted. It was bad enough that they were behind schedule due to the storm (Heaven knows how uptight his client was about the shipments), but getting stuck in potentially dangerous waters just topped the cake. There was nothing he could do about it though. "I see. I'll return to my cabin and have my dinner there. Call me if anything arises."

~oOo~

"You know the game," Sinbad said to his right-hand man. He hooted into the night and was immediately answered by several calls. His men were ready.

The pirates trailed into the water, clenching their daggers between their teeth as they swam towards the ship. When they reached their destination, some began clambering up the sides whilst others set about dismantling the rudders and spare boats, making escape impossible. So skilled were they that they hardly made any sound except the sound of dripping water as they slip in and out, which was inaudible above the din of waves.

"I don't like this place, it gives me the creeps."

"Any dark places give you the creeps. What you need is some good booze. Listen to them, enjoying downstairs while leaving us two poor souls on deck to eat the wind."

"A mug sounds nice right now."

"Oh yes, and a warm bed as well. It wouldn't hurt for us to go down, would it? No one else but us should be on this island."

"I like your logic there, mate, yes I do."

Sinbad listened closely, trying not to laugh at their conversation and counting up to only two watchmen. _Fools_, he thought to himself. Two night watches were no match for a group of savage islanders. He motioned for Sharrkan and Masrur to move in for the kill.

The two men nodded, heaving themselves overboard and dropping onto the decks with soft _thuds_.

"Hey, you heard that?"

"Who is—"

It took no effort at all for the pirates to dispose of the night watches as they scattered to do their work. In no time, most of the emergency items on the ship were broken, save for whatever was in the rooms that were occupied by crew members. Whatever the pirates could take, they took without remorse.

For now though, Sinbad decided to leave the crew mates save the two night watches alive. It would be so much more fun prolonging their scare. Just as they were leaving with their loot, a drunken man stumbled onto the deck.

"-ey, who are you?" Sharrkan slit his throat quickly, but the man fell backward, right back into the crowded room from whence he came. Immediately, there were shouts and scrapping of furniture downstairs as the ship came alive with alarmed crew members.

"Whoops," Sharrkan scratched his head.

Sinbad grinned. "All the more fun." He dodged a man easily, swinging his bag of fruits down on the poor man's head.

~oOo~

Ja'far was looking through the trade records in his room, organizing the orders and making sure that the amount was counted right. He rubbed his eyes tiredly. The small print on the papers was hard to look at under the dim candle light.

Suddenly there was a loud commotion outside. The deck became alight with flickering torches and shadows of men running about. They seemed to be fighting someone.

Ja'far narrowed his eyes as his hand strayed to the pistol by his waist. If they were attacked…

A figure fell backward and broke through his door, skidding to a halt in front of his desk. The man looked up at the scribe-slash-bodyguard and surprise briefly flashed in his eyes before he was up and jumping to dodge a stray bullet.

"What-" Ja'far dropped to the floor as well when the bullet barely grazed over his elbow. Whoever shooting hadn't been looking very well and he was pissed. "What in the tarnation is happening? Who are you and what are you doing here?" He raised his pistol and aimed it at the intruder. Now that he had a closer look, he noted the wild appearance on the other. His shirt was torn along the seams and old, the formerly black fabric having faded into a dirty grey. The man had very tanned skin and long violet hair that was messily brushed into some form of a ponytail. He didn't look like a man of society, though the intelligence reflected in his eyes belied his wildness. Perhaps he had once been a part of society, but broke off for one reason or the other.

The man held up both hands –he was not so detached from society that he didn't recognize a pistol, Ja'far noted wryly – showing no signs of hostility. But there was something about his grin that was unsettling. It was as if he knew he would win this stand down.

"Who are you and what are you doing here?" Ja'far repeated again, inching slowly towards the man but careful to keep a safe distance should the other try anything funny.

"Sinbad at your service," the man – Sinbad – bowed mockingly, removing his bandanna from his head.

That name sounded familiar…He couldn't be _that_ Sinbad, could he? Ja'far looked at the shock of purple hair and smug grin. On another thought, he could be. At least the name of lady killer does seem to apply in this case.

"Why are you here?"

Sinbad retrieved a fruit from the bag by his leg and tossed it around. "Hmm," he hummed appreciatively, "shopping around for some things."

"I say don't move—" Ja'far was cut off for the second time that night when one of the crew members charged in, shouting '_where is the pirate_' whilst waving his cutlass around, slicing important documents. If he hadn't been occupied with the stranger, Ja'far seriously contemplated shooting the crew member. Heck, he might just do it after all was said and done.

"It seems my time is up, O fair one," Sinbad took Ja'far's momentarily lapse of attention to jump forward and through the window. But right before that, he grabbed Ja'far's chin and planted a kiss on the white hair man's lips. "We will meet again."

Ja'far stood in stunned silence as he watched the man waltzed through the window and disappear into the night, completely ignoring the conflict going on outside. _What was that?_

_What was that?_

Sinbad thought to himself as he made his way back to base camp. The warmth of the man's lip still tingled on his own. He had meant to do something mischievous to unnerve the clerk (was he even a clerk when he had a gun?) who seemed like an uptight person. But in the midst of all the chaos, all he did was left a searing kiss.

Admittedly, Sinbad was surprised by the man's complexion the moment he saw him. He had never seen anyone with such fair skin before, even amongst the gentlemen and ladies that were grounded in the past. They were pale, but none as white as the man before him, and none of them possessed hair that light. To top it off, there was a sprinkle of freckles across his nose, something that was rare not only amongst the mainstream society, but amongst his family as well. He was immediately captivated.

The man had aimed a pistol at him, no signs of fear in his eyes. It was that fearlessness that truly moved Sinbad to curiosity. He needed to know more about that man, how he could withstand a bloodthirsty pirate without so much as a shred of weakness.

Sinbad touched his lips gingerly and smiled. They would be stuck on the island for awhile. There was still chance to meet this mysterious man.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

"The cargos are gone?" Ja'far clenched his jaw to the point that it throbs, dark pupils regarding each and every crew member on the deck solemnly. Heavens forbid that he return to his client without the cargo, where he knew he would undoubtedly get an earful and more. "The cargos are _gone_?" He repeated again just for good measure.

"Aye, with two good men down and several injured as well," the captain lamented.

"And all our emergency supplies are gone too," the second-in-command piped in helpfully but quieted down when he became the receiving end of Ja'far's infamous glare.

"I see...and what do we do about this?" Ja'far could feel his temper rising with the sun. His dignity and pride was on the line here. Didn't anyone know that he was reputed for his impeccable deliveries?

The captain scratched his head in frustration. "We will send men down there to get supplies from the island. Meanwhile, please be patient, Sir Ja'far."

"Fine. I will retire below decks. For now."

And patient it was as Ja'far waited for one hour. Two hours. Passing into three…

The fourth hour was broken by the sounds of gunshots in the air. Several bullets went off, and then all was silent again.

By then everyone had hit the deck, straining their eyes vainly into the thick island vegetation in search of the source of commotion. But they were disappointed when nothing else happened and as night arrived, they became worried when none of their crewmates came back.

The next day the captain sent another party onto the island in search for the missing crewmates.

And again no one came back. This time there wasn't even the sound of gunshots to imply that there was a struggle.

The third morning dawned cold and bleary. No one had a good night's sleep as more than half of their crews were gone. The ship was down to only one-third of its former crews, of which half of them were injured from the fight three nights ago.

Ja'far was starting to get temperamental. "I will go," he volunteered when the captain looked torn between sending any more crew members to the island and keeping them safe on the ship. "I know how to defend myself well enough, thank you," he added when the captain opened his mouth to argue.

With that said, Ja'far made quick preparations. He packed his pistols and bullets in an oil sack so that the equipment wouldn't get soaked while he swam to shore. His coat he discarded along with his hat and gloves because they would only act as heavyweights in water. When all was said and done, he joined the small search party as they lowered themselves into the water and waded to the island.

~oOo~

Sinbad was bored.

At first he was ecstatic when the first party came on land, thinking that he would have a chance to meet the mysterious man again. But there had been no such person and his family quickly disposed of the crewmates. The second wave was greeted with as much enthusiasm, and yet, no white-haired clerk.

"Ah, incoming party!" Pisti shouted from her perch. "Just landed!"

"Do tell me more about it," Sinbad humored the little girl without much thought. At this point he had given up the prospect of having a certain pale-skinned man come after him and was more preoccupied with counting the supplies they have taken.

"Hmm, there's a huge man with two swords, a lean one with strange beard - oh, look at that 'un! There's a tiny man with white hair. He doesn't look like the fighting type though, I wonder what is he doing here?"

Immediately Sinbad was up on the tree and alongside Pisti, grabbing the worn-out telescope from her hands like an eager child. He scanned the beach until his eyes landed on his target and a radiant smile lit his face.

"My good men, we have another party coming!" Sinbad bellowed as he swung down the tree and ran inside to prepare. "Leave the white-hair man to me and do away with the others!"

~oOo~

Ja'far decided that he didn't like sea water at all. It was cold and clammy and it stung his eyes quite a bit when the waves splattered against his face. It was also surprisingly hard to swim in, what with the wave motions moving against his limbs and never had he felt that encumbered in his life before. The knowledge that he was vulnerable to any attacks while in water made his mood foul.

Thank heavens the meager group of five men was able to make it to shore without much hassle.

Their fortune was short-lived, however.

No sooner had they wrung their clothes out and made their way to the edge of the forest before they found bodies crashing through the vegetation. In no time the crews found themselves fighting for their lives as blades flashed at them from underneath the bushes and from the canopies above.

Ja'far shot a few rounds into the underbrush, grunting in disappointment when no yelps or screams greeted him. He hadn't shot his target. Strangely though he felt that none of the attacks were targeted at him. In fact, aside from a few scratches from random branches, he hadn't sustained any injuries. Why weren't they attacking him?

His question was quickly answered when a body barreled right into him, knocking him off his feet. Arms wrapped around his torso and he found himself forcefully dragged away from his group before he even registered what struck him.

"Damn it, let me go!" Ja'far growled and struck his capturer with the butt of his gun. The assailant let go with a yelp, allowing the clerk to roll away.

"You again?" Ja'far narrowed his eyes when it landed on the purple-haired buccaneer from a few nights ago. "What do you want this time?" He trained his gun on the man, prepared to shoot at any moment.

"To meet you," Sinbad grinned as he leaned forward, prepared to dodge in case the petite man before him decided to shoot.

"And _why?_"

Sinbad shrugged, not quite sure of the reason himself, but hey, he had been known to make very good choices based off impulses. "I would watch out if I were you."

Ja'far cocked his barrel. "What-" A sudden, jolting pain collided with the back of his head and his pistol flew out of his hand. Before he knew what was happening, his vision swam and the last thing he registered was Sinbad talking with someone before he blacked out.

~oOo~

The return to the conscious world was as unpleasant as Ja'far remembered it - there was a nonstop pounding inside his head, each bang reminding him painfully of the injury behind his skull and the heaviness of the limbs that accompanied one after long hours of not moving.

By and by his senses grew stronger as he further crossed the line into wakefulness. The original buzzing in the background took the form of people talking. There were footsteps as well, along with a lot of other sounds that signify human activity.

Where was he?

Last he remembered, he was rendered unconscious from the behind. Had he been kidnapped by the pirates? But if that was the case, it was odd that he couldn't feel any sort of ropes or chains fettering his limbs. Was he perhaps in a prison then?

Ja'far chanced an eye open, carefully surveying his surroundings. To his surprise, there were no prison walls around him. On the contrary, he was lying on a rather comfortable cot in a small corner, unseen by the general shuffling of people.

And what a group this was! There were all sorts of people: tall ones, short ones, ones with a limb missing, others with scars decorating them, and then there were even decent looking ones that had nice coats and relatively well-kempt hairs. The group reminded him of the bazaars that he had visited during his delivery trips (though he often steer clear of such areas because of his dislike for crowds), and where the populace was as diverse as the colors of jellybeans in a jar.

But this was no time for pondering. He deduced that he was in enemy territory and they had probably kept him for ransom of some sorts. Maybe they thought he was wealthy, what with his fair-skinned looks (he didn't asked to be born that way!), but they would be severely disappointed if they think that Ja'far would lie all nice and quiet. It was in his nature to fight for his own way and Ja'far was determined to escape from this area, or at least die trying to.

The white-haired clerk slowly reached down to his waist, grunting in disappointment when he found his precious weapons confiscated. Then again, that was to be expected. He casted his eyes about, searching for other potential weapons. There was a knife a few feet away on a table and if he was careful enough, perhaps he could slip up to the furniture and grab it.

A light laughter shocked Ja'far out of his thoughts when he saw a young girl flit near the table, trying to steal pieces of food without the adults noticing. She was barely twelve based off her small stature and for-lack-of-better-words, rather straight chest.

A sudden idea popped into Ja'far's head. Without further ado, he raised himself from the ground, making sure that no one noticed his movements and dashed straight towards the table. Before anyone could register what happened, he wrapped one arm around the girl's shoulder and with the other, directed the knife tip towards her neck. There were shouts of alarm and he learned from those shouts that the girl was called 'Pisti'.

"Listen Pisti," Ja'far huffed, still slightly breathless from his dash, "I don't like to do this but you will slowly lead me to the outside and once we are a safe distance away, I will release you. Do you hear me?"

To his surprise, Pisti didn't look impressed at all, much less frightened. "You know, you can't escape. When Sinbad wants somethin', he's pretty persistent." Her statement was met with sniggers from the other pirates, all looking amused at Ja'far's resistance. They parted ways respectfully, however, when their leader came through.

"And what have we here?" Sinbad raised one eyebrow at the scene before him.

"He's threatening Pisti," A red-haired man answered. He was, Ja'far noted, the only one who hadn't laugh at the whole scene.

"Is he now?" Sinbad turned his attention back to the clerk. "And what do you want in exchange for this...hostage?"

He definitely didn't like the way Sinbad frame things. They weren't taking this seriously at all! "Just let me out of here and I'll return the girl to you." Somewhere he thought he heard someone snort at his demand.

Sinbad shrugged casually. "Fine with me. Clear the way guys and let our guest go!"

It was Ja'far's turn to raise his eyebrow questioningly. This was going too smoothly - he expected more negotiations and even fighting, not this...this free ticket to freedom. He eyed the pirates around him warily as he slowly backed out the cleared passage with Pisti in tow, just in case one of those pirates decided that they could ambush him while he was on his way out.

Once they have put some distance between themselves and the pirate den, and Ja'far made sure that no one else was tailing him, he let go of Pisti. "You can go now," he added before sprinting into the forest around him.

Pisti watched the clerk as he disappeared amongst the bushes. "Does he even know where he is goin'?"

* * *

**A/N: Thank you Lazy Gaga, Rainbow and everyone else for reviewing and following, I really appreciate it! :) I hope I won't disappoint you guys as I work more on the story!**


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

_You're a fool. A stupid, careless nitwit! _Ja'far cursed himself for the umpteenth time that day as he brushed aside a branch that had gotten in his face. He didn't want to admit it, but he was completely lost in this tropic jungle. Why hadn't he demand the girl to show him the way to the bay? Or perhaps ask for a map of some sort before making a run?

Ah, right. Because somehow that Sinbad-pirate had a knack for making him flustered and throw his most basic of rationalities out of the window. But a part of him knew that the fault laid with himself. He had been getting soft as of late with easy deliveries.

So it was entirely up to him to redeem his own mistake and try to find his way out.

At first Ja'far had tried climbing the tallest tree nearby to give him a clear view of the surrounding landscape. _Tried _being the keyword. He learned soon to his frustration and embarrassment that climbing a tree was a harder feat than he thought and he was only making a further fool of himself by repeatedly failing.

Next he tried searching for the tallest rock or hill, but was once again discouraged by the dense vegetation. It seems that no amount of hacking with the knife could lessen the foliage as more sprung up in the fallen's stead. To make things worse, the sun was steadily making a downward trek towards the horizon and all around him the shadows grew.

_This is getting ridiculous_, Ja'far sighed as he deposited himself underneath a tree that he had passed by three times. The marks on the bark carved by his knife were the only indication that he had been in this place before, or else he wouldn't have recognized one tree from the next. Normally he prided himself on his observation and memory skills, but in this alien environment, Ja'far found his skills severely challenged and put to shame. The leaves and trees leered back at him, as if mocking his inability to distinguish one from the other and for a few moments, he found joy in hacking down as many greens as he could reach with his knife. Eventually the anger subsided, replaced by lethargy and an urge to sleep.

Well, it looked like he wouldn't be making further progress that day and he might as well find somewhere to rest. The root looked like a good spot to lie upon. Ja'far hunted about, gathering pieces of dried timber and forming a fire ring with it. If he stayed the night in the wild, he might as well build a fire to keep him warm. That is, if he could start a fire first.

The clerk sifted through his pockets but turned up with nothing. He had left his tinder box along with his precious bullets in the oil sack, of which the pirates have so conveniently taken from him. A few rocks nearby looked promising, but tried as he might, he could not coax a single spark from the solids. How did the good-for-nothing adventurers made it sound so easy when they recited their tales in the bars?

Finally realizing that striking a fire was as impossible as climbing a tree, Ja'far gave up and settled himself comfortably - or as comfortable as he could get it to be - between the nook and crannies of the root.

Yet sleep evaded him. The shadows around him grew heavier and merged with one another until there was nothing but deep, inky blackness. Ja'far tried stretching his fingers a few times in front of his face, but he couldn't make out a single thing. What he could make out, however, were twin spots of eyes that disappeared and appeared amongst the shadows. Some were small, others big; some stayed near the ground, whereas others hung high amongst the trees. He wasn't sure if they were looking at him because every time he stared right back at those eyes, they blinked out, only to appear some distance off.

Rubbing his eyes, Ja'far swore a few of those eyes just got closer to him. His fingers gripped the hilt of his knife until it shook with the tension of taut muscles. When he thought the eyes got too close, he picked up dry woods or rocks from nearby and threw it into the inky darkness, watching with satisfaction as all the eyes disappeared in an instant and the incessant sounds of the wilderness around him grew mute. The moment was short-lived as slowly, one by one, eyes began appearing again, and the din of insects escalated louder than before.

Ja'far pressed his back closely to the root, knowing that it would provide some protection. His only solace was the knife in his hand, capable of tearing through flesh just as well as any tooth and claw of a wild beast. For the rest of the night Ja'far didn't let his guard down, sending projectiles occasionally into the darkness around him in an attempt to frighten away any predators.

When morning came the clerk found himself not only sleep-deprived, but in a fouler mood than usual. Those eyes retreated along with the break of dawn and the fight seeped out from Ja'far as he sighed in relief. He couldn't remember a time he had been gladder to see the sun. But there was no time for rest. He needed to get back to the safety of the ship.

"Just follow the sound of the sea, just follow the sound of the-damn it, this is not helping at all," Ja'far gritted his teeth. No matter which direction he moved in he could only hear the distant lull of waves breaking but never once making any progress towards it. And still around him the island trees loomed tall and ominous, blocking his view.

A sudden rustling caught his attention. Ja'far looked upwards and saw shadows darting through the leaves. When one of the shadows called out, he recognized it immediately: monkeys. Wild island monkeys that were very unlike those caged ones that he came across in the markets. These monkeys were highly territorial and hostile against any intruders, which, Ja'far quickly concluded, he was one.

Without taking the time to think, he bolted.

Had he been fighting a lone primate, Ja'far would have stayed back and met it head-on. But when there was a _group_, there was nothing the clerk could do but run for his life. The moment he turned his back on the creatures, it was as if a silent signal had been given for the chase to start and they were after him in the blink of an eye.

A string of profanities escaped Ja'far's mouth as he blindly tore through the underbrush, ignoring the tears and stinging cuts from different bushes. By now his shirt was no better than the pirates', torn and only hanging onto his frame by a few well-placed seams. The horde of monkey was still closing on him though, unrelenting in their pursuit.

And then suddenly he was on a beach, having somehow dash through the thick foliage. He stumbled a bit as his foot met soft sand but he was glad to note that the monkeys hesitated, loitering by the edge of the forest yet not willing to come out from the protectiveness of their canopy cover. At least for the moment he was safe from these creatures, so long as he stayed on the beach. The unfortunate thing was, it was a very small beach in which he could even see the other end of the shore from his current position. It was also not the bay where their ship had landed.

Ja'far sighed as he trekked his way to the other side of the beach where there was a cliff wall. There were some large boulders that had fallen from the cliff face which offered plenty of shade. If he couldn't return to the forest for the time being, he might as well stay out of the sun.

By and by, Ja'far dozed off as he waited for the monkeys to disappear.

~oOo~

The clerk woke up with a start to something else beside the sound of waves. He strained his ears and tried to identify the source of disturbance - there was a soft pitter-patter and little sprinkles of water on his face, so it must be raining right now, and there was also snoring, so someone else-

Ja'far's thought came to a screeching halt as he backtracked. There was snoring from someone just to his left. That person was even leaning slightly onto him! No wonder he felt so cocooned and warm in this dreary weather.

He sprang wide awake in a second and was onto the person, grappling with flailing hands to reach for the person's throat. The man was being stubborn by shielding his face with his hands; blocking Ja'far's every attempt at throttling the other.

The two struggled for some time before the man got a foot out and landed a swift kick in Ja'far's stomach, throwing the clerk backwards and coughing.

"I'd prefer a gentler wake-up, something like a kiss," Sinbad sat up and rubbed at his reddening wrists.

"Why are you here?" Ja'far asked incredulously, aware that Sinbad's coat was draped around his body and keeping the heat in. He wanted to discard it away, but realize the sorry state of his own clothing and decided against it. Sometimes swallowing his pride was more important than risking hypothermia.

Sinbad gave his non-committal shrug again as if he didn't know the reason himself. "Pisti said that you were walking in the opposite direction of the bay and I thought I would confirm it myself."

There was that teasing smile that set Ja'far's temper on edge. "Oh? Perhaps it would have been more courteous of her to tell me that in advance," he gritted out, plotting murder in his mind. If only he had his pistols, he would go after Sinbad first, then Pisti (little girl or no) and then maybe that darn crew member that destroyed his documents during the fray a few nights ago.

"Pisti tends to have a mischievous streak," Sinbad scratched his head, looking almost apologetic had it not been for the smile that split his face.

"She'd better grow out of it soon or else no one is going to want her," Ja'far muttered more to himself than Sinbad. But when he noticed Sinbad giving him a queer look, he asked, "What?"

Sinbad shook his head. "Nah, just thinking that Pisti is already a grown woman, but she still has the personality of a child." At Ja'far's incredulous look, he added, "she might even have had a few rounds with some of the guys back in the den - _don't_ ask me why I know."

"...you sure know a lot."

"Definitely. At least I know not to turn my back against a group of monkeys," Sinbad leaned back against the rock, keeping a careful eye on the knife in Ja'far's hand in case...well, in case the white-haired man decided that he would be a good chopping board, which, judging by the man's expression, was a very likely possibility.

"_You_ saw that?" Ja'far tried very hard to reign in his temper. That bastard saw him being chased by a bunch of monkeys and probably found entertainment in it.

"Mmhmm, and I saw how you tried to 'climb' all those trees. You'd a rather cute expression when you fell."

That just made it ten times more humiliating than being seen running away from monkeys. Ja'far willed himself to not take a knife to the man beside him. Somehow he had a feeling that the plan would backfire, as with everything that had happened since he came onto this island.

"You know, I've been thinking," Sinbad began, ignoring the fuming man beside him, "I want you to join my family."

Ja'far spluttered. Where had that thought come from? "Excuse me?"

"I've been keeping an eye on you and I like what I see. You are fearless, skilled in handling weapons and apparently good with numbers, I think. Besides," Sinbad leaned forward till he was almost touching nose with the clerk, "I find your appearance fascinating as well. I've never seen someone like you before. You will be a very valuable asset to my family." He trailed a finger across Ja'far's cheek, across those flecks of dark brown on pale skin and brushed the tips of his fingers against white hair.

For a moment Ja'far was enraptured by the emotions held in the pirate's eyes: there was determination, desire and an overwhelming confidence that he would get what he want. But the moment passed just as quickly and Ja'far knocked Sinbad's hand aside, his expression drawn into an angry frown. "I don't exactly associate myself with thieves."

"What are 'thieves' but another method of surviving?"

"You kill too."

"Survival only for the fittest," Sinbad replied just as smoothly. "It's either I eliminate them or they come and kill my family. The choice seems obvious, don't you think?"

Ja'far barked out a harsh laugh. "And so you destroy who knows how many other families? Sorry, but I decline your offer." He noted that the sky was lightening up somewhat and the rain had dwindled down considerably. "If there's nothing else you would like to say, I will get going then." He stripped off the jacket from his body and threw it back to the pirate.

Sinbad was up on his feet and before Ja'far could even blink, his hand had reached out and gripped the younger man's chin firmly. "Oh? But I don't remember giving you a choice? I recall saying 'I want you to join my family'."

Ja'far swatted the hand aside and jumped a few distance away. He pulled out the knife and point it towards Sinbad. "And what makes you think that I would join your little family?"

The pirate didn't even blink at the weapon aimed at him. "Simple - your ship's stuck and there is nowhere you could go until you repair it. But as long as my family is on this island, you and your crewmates will never get the required supplies." He turned and began walking away from the clerk. "You'll come around soon. It's part of your nature."

The last sentence caught Ja'far off guard as he stared at Sinbad's retreating figure. Part of his nature? What did the man mean?

* * *

**A/N: Lazy Gaga, spiritleopard, Rainbow, denOden and all the many other people who favorited and followed the story: thank you very much. It makes my day to know you guys are enjoying the story! **


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

*Warning: there be minor mentions of blood and injuries*

"Correct me if I'm wrong -though I'm pretty sure my memory serves me well - that you said we part ways?"

"Shut up."

"And here I thought-"

"I said _shut up_."

"Not friendly are we?" Sinbad whistled as he expertly walked through the fronds and dodged the overhanging vines without sparing a single glance.

Ja'far, on the other hand, wasn't faring as well. He swayed his body left and right, swatting away at the obstacles in his path while trying to focus on his footing. It was annoying, humiliating at best, that he had been reduced to following the pirate like a lost puppy. He recalled the scene a few hours ago with increasing shame.

_When Sinbad had walked away and disappeared amongst the forest, Ja'far had went the other direction, determined to find his way back again, hopefully with more luck this time. But no sooner had he left the beach behind when he crossed path with the group of monkeys. _

_He didn't think monkeys would be that persistent. _

'Don't turn away, confront them and fight.'_ Ja'far learned his lesson last time and he'd be a fool if he turned his back again. Fingers found their way and curled tightly around the knife's hilt as the clerk stared boldly at the largest primate. _

_For a moment or two, there was silence as human and animal glared viciously at one another. And then the largest monkey suddenly bared its fangs, screeched and the whole group rushed Ja'far again. But Ja'far wasn't one to back down. He convinced himself that this was just a feint, that when the monkeys realize he was not going to run, they would turn tail instead. _

_So it came as a surprise when a flash of fangs laid the clerk's forearm open, the only thing saving him being his sharp speed. If Ja'far'd been any slower, the damage would have been much worse, perhaps penetrating to the bones. As it was, the fangs only sliced through his skin, though the blood oozing from the wound belied its shallowness. A small part of his brain worried over whether it would be infected, but he didn't have time to think as he suddenly found himself in a midst of a fray. _

_Fangs to the left. Claws to the right. _

_Ja'far's eyes narrowed dangerously as he struck out in every direction, finding the attacks coming from all sides. _

_The creatures were fast. _

_And so was he. _

_Thankfully his past trainings had come in handy, allowing his body to quickly attune to the onslaught of attacks. Yet even as he laid injuries on his adversaries, Ja'far found himself in worse condition. There was only so much he can do against a whole group of twenty to thirty savage primates. _

_And then suddenly the monkeys scattered slightly as another body leaped over the overhanging. There was a blaze of purple and silver that whirled hither and thither, cutting the creatures with a mighty vengeance before landing back-to-back against Ja'far. The clerk widened his eyes as his vision cleared slightly and the purple dissolved itself into Sinbad's hair and the silver to the sword in his hand. _

_"__I thought I heard a damsel in distress," Sinbad greeted, shifting his sword slightly._

_"__I am doing perfectly fine without you," Ja'far hissed back despite how the injuries on his body disagreed otherwise. _

_"__Hmm," the pirate hummed slightly, as if doubting his words but not saying anything about it. "Why don't we get ourselves out of this fix first?" _

_And for once, Ja'far agreed with the pirate. He nodded his head, surprised when Sinbad was off in a second and charging into the midst of the animals. Ja'far followed suit, thrusting his weapon into the nearest creature. _

_As they fought Ja'far was once again reminded of how Sinbad came to be the most infamous pirate out there. With Sinbad, fighting became an _art_. The man's motions were fluid, the sword passing between his two hands easily as they deflect aggressors from the left and right. There were no actions wasted, no energy used for unnecessary swings and certainly no mistakes made. Each stroke was delivered with purpose and careful but quick calculation, backed by an overwhelming determination to fight and survive. _

_Then there was his footwork. No matter how slippery the ground was from the rain, or how thick some areas were with vegetation, Sinbad's legs never once betrayed its master and lost its footing. They skimmed the ground, touching it briefly before they were up again, bringing Sinbad forward. _

_The pirate's style of fighting was unique as well. To be precise, Ja'far couldn't say that Sinbad _had_ a style; it was more like a random mix of hacks and slices, but connected and transitioned between one another so smoothly as to form a dance. Sinbad would slip away from the monkeys, then dart in just as quickly, dealing a blow to the creature before flitting away some safe distance again. He seemed to have no problems even if his opponents were up in the trees, because he would just wait until they attack again to be within his reach. Sinbad was as much a master of his sword as he was of his body. _

_And Ja'far shuddered when he remembered how he had considered attacking the man just awhile back. That would have been the gravest mistake he'd ever made. He had no doubt in his mind who was the stronger of the two. _

_But at the same time he couldn't suppress the shiver of excitement thrumming in his veins as he fought alongside this man. There was something exhilarating about fighting alongside a worthy ally and his eyes flashed a brilliant emerald as his weapon made deadly whirls. From the corner of his eye, he thought he saw Sinbad glance and smile at him, and unbeknownst to him, he smiled as well. _

_In no time, overpowered by the two humans, the monkeys retreated to the safety of their branches, screeching fearfully at the intruders. _

_Ja'far dropped to his knees, panting slightly from the exertion and the wounds. None of them were particularly serious, but added together, he had lost quite some blood. _

_"__Come on, it wouldn't do us good to be staying around here," Sinbad held out his hand but when the clerk showed no sign of grabbing it, he frowned. "Still stubborn, are we?" He muttered softly before sheathing his sword and with a great mighty heave, lifted Ja'far over his shoulder. _

_The action seemed to wake Ja'far from his daze. "Wha-what are you doing?" He screeched. _

_But Sinbad didn't answer, only quickening his pace. _

_"__Let me go!" Ja'far pounded Sinbad on his back, "or I'll run the knife through you!" _

_Sinbad shot him a dark look over his shoulder and continued on his way. It was a brief look but Ja'far got the message clear enough: _I dare you to do so and we'll see about the consequences.

_Once again a chill raked its way down the clerk's spine. Sinbad was not someone to fool around with when he was serious and it would do him good to perhaps just give in to Sinbad's whims for once, just once. Ja'far heaved a sigh and flopped down on the other man's shoulder, hoping that at least his weight could hinder the pirate, but it seemed like Sinbad didn't care one way or the other. _

_They continued on for a while before Sinbad arrived at a pond's edge and deposited his human cargo none-too-gently. Before Ja'far could protest about the rough handling though, he found Sinbad's coat shoved in his face again. _

_"__Go wash yourself up and wear this. I'll take you to the bay afterwards." The purple-haired man turned away, sitting himself behind a tree. _

_What was with the sudden change of heart? Wasn't he talking a moment ago about how he wanted Ja'far to join the pirates? Ja'far couldn't fathom what went on inside the man's head as he stripped and plunged head first into the water, the sudden cold raising goosebumps all over his skin. But he supposed he shouldn't let an opportunity go to waste now that he was offered a way out._

That was how Ja'far found himself trailing behind the fiend, dressed in nothing but Sinbad's coat and his own slacks. He watched as the pirate took another turn and followed closely behind.

"Why are you taking me to the bay?" Ja'far inquired despite how he had told the pirate to shut up a moment ago. "What are you up to?" He was suspicious, but it wasn't like he had any other choice. Who knows how long it would take him to even find his own way?

"Nothing," Sinbad replied simply.

"But I thought you wanted me to join your family."

"And you will," there was confidence in his reply. "You will come back shortly even if you return to the ship."

There was something about that statement that made Ja'far uncomfortable, as if the man had figured him out better than himself. So he became quiet, mulling over what the pirate said. So caught up was he in his thoughts that he didn't realize Sinbad had stopped and he bumped lightly into the other. "Hey-"

Sinbad didn't even acknowledge the clerk as he glanced raptly into the distance, his back stiff and straight as a plank. Ja'far looked over his shoulder and blinked.

There was the bay, still some distance off, but viewable and on it he could make out the black lump of his ship. He frowned, that shouldn't be the reason why Sinbad had been so tensed. It wasn't like the pirate hadn't been on his ship before. He glanced further into the horizon and felt his jaw drop.

Because right there in the middle of the ocean and as clear as day fluttered a blue flag with the familiar silver pattern of the royal navy insignia etched into it.

After the initial shock, Sinbad turned towards Ja'far. "Why are they here?" But that was a redundant question. The surprised expression on the other man was enough to tell him what he needed to know. "I trust that you can make your own way down to the bay now?" He didn't even wait for Ja'far's response before he was bounding through the forest, no doubt rushing back to where his family was.

For some unknown reason Ja'far felt disappointed and pissed that the pirate had just left him there, without so much as a _take care_ or _see you again_. But he quickly pushed the strange thought aside and moved ahead. Now that the bay was in view, he wouldn't get lost anymore.

~oOo~

The scenery around him was nothing more than a blur as Sinbad ran back. When the den came in view, he hooted several emergency calls, notifying his family of the unwelcomed visitors. Why was the royal navy here? The currents shouldn't have brought them to this island considering how massive their vessels were. The only other reason he could come up with was that the royals had somehow found out about his base. If that was the case, there will be much bloodshed soon.

"You're back already?" Hinahoho blinked in surprise as Sinbad zipped past him into the meeting room - an empty cavern big enough to support all his family members. By then his emergency calls had already gathered the majority of the people in the area.

"What's the big deal?" Sharrkan called out when everyone was gathered around the speaking platform.

Sinbad panted slightly as he caught his breath. "We have trouble."

~oOo~

It didn't take long at all for the clerk to find his way back to the beach. His ship was still there, sadly sitting in the waters with her scrapped hull. As he approached warning bells went off in his mind. Something was not right with the picture. There were not the usual signs of activity on the vessel, no smoke nor sound to signify the presence of human.

A few scenarios immediately raced through his mind. Did the pirates murder them while he was gone? He wasn't even sure how long he had been unconscious before he woke up in the pirates' den. It could have been a few minutes, a few hours, or even a few days! Was that why Sinbad said he would return? Because he knew that all the other crewmates were slaughtered? Yet somehow he couldn't bring himself to doubt the so-called pirate king. There was something sincere and honest (ironically) about how the man handled situations: no calculating looks, no hesitation in his answers. If he'd killed the crewmates, he would have told Ja'far so from the start.

Ja'far's lifted his head and stared at the navy ship. Perhaps they have somehow been rescued and taken aboard the ship? This seemed more plausible. It also meant that he could get off the island once and for all. Just that thought alone lifted his spirit.

That was why he didn't notice the figures creeping up at him from behind and suddenly found himself held down by several men sporting navy uniforms.

"What are you doing?" Ja'far huffed as he kicked the man behind him on the shin, using the momentary lapse in their grip to twist himself free. But no sooner had he freed himself before the others were upon him and he was pushed down once again into the sand. "Hey, what do you think you are doing? I am the clerk for the Seven Seas weaponry company!"

"Save your small talk, pirate." One of the navy men growled as he cuffed silver manacles around Ja'far's wrists and legs. "You are arrested under the name of King Kouen and charged with murder, theft and rape."

**A/N:** **Once again, thank you to spiritleopard, Lylia00, Lazy Gaga and all the others who followed and faved this story. :) **

**And I apologize for the lengthy fight scene, I couldn't hold myself back (did I mention I absolutely love writing fight scenes?)**


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

"You are arrested under the name of King Kouen and charged with murder, theft and rape."

For a second the statement went right over Ja'far's head. Sure, he might have killed a few people in his past assignments, but he wasn't desperate enough yet to steal and rape. When had he—

He looked down at his handcuffs and cussed. Sinbad's tattered coat still hung onto his frame like a proud beacon announcing its owner's status as a pirate. The bruises and cuts he acquired over the past day completed the picture.

"I can explain…" Ja'far trailed off when he saw the hostile expressions on the men surrounding him. No one here would buy a pirate's words and any resistance would be interpreted as a guilty conscience. Rather than arguing a losing cause, he might as well save his breath and focus on a more strategic plan of action, which currently, seemed to be going with the flow of things. Ja'far settled for a sullen glare at the people around him.

"The sun's setting. Bring him on board for interrogation."

The clerk was quickly jostled onto a small boat and transported back to the navy vessel.

Once onboard Ja'far immediately spied the leftover crews from the cargo ship. A few of the previously wounded members were strolling about the deck, chatting amicably with the soldiers – no doubt retelling their precarious encounters with the island savages. Ja'far scrunched his brows slightly when he saw the looks of disbelief, confusion and anger casted his way. Did they not recognize him?

"The materials onboard were not sufficient for repair…"

A familiar voice coming his way caught Ja'far's attention. He would recognize the cargo ship captain's voice anywhere, courtesy of the man being his sole-contact during his time on the vessel.

The captain halted in his tracks as well when he saw the white-haired clerk. Unlike Ja'far though, there was no hint of the respectful familiarity he had addressed the younger man with back when they were sailing together. Instead, he threw a frigid glare at the clerk.

"Cap-" Ja'far ignored the captain's abnormality, seeing as the captain was the only man onboard who could explain his situation to the navy. But before he could even start, the man rushed him, seized him tightly by the collar and began raining punches.

Under normal circumstances the older man was no threat at all to Ja'far, but his hands were currently bounded and the captain was acting like a raging beast, spouting words of profanities and accusations with each blow he delivered. "Traitor", "joining hands with the pirates", "pirate scum" were just a few of the choice statements that Ja'far made out before they were separated by the navy men and he was led to the cells underneath.

Unlike the dark, damp cubicles that comprise most ships' cells, the royal navy's was a blessing. They were relatively clean with enough space for a full-grown man to move about seven steps in every direction. There was a hay bed in a corner for the prisoner, which, Ja'far noted to his satisfaction, contain only a few lice and bed bugs. The cell food was also edible solid food, not the liquid mush that most prisoners encounter on lower-ranking ships. The only downside was that it was slightly chilly in the night, but that was only a minor inconvenience that Ja'far could tolerate.

For the rest of the day and the next day, several officers took turns questioning him about his whereabouts in the past few days and the locations of the pirates. In turn, he answered to the best of his abilities, knowing that the truth was his best alibi. Yet despite his consistent answers, the navy men were still skeptical. They wanted to know why Sinbad had spared him amongst all the crew members, why the infamous pirate had let him go so easily and why he had returned to save the clerk later on. To these Ja'far could only shrug his shoulders helplessly. What could he say? The pirate was a fickle man? Or that Sinbad said some mumbo jumbo about his true nature? He was lucky that they hadn't thought of using physical torture to force answers out of him. Yet.

"Do you think he is speaking the truth? His answers were consistent."

"Who knows, there were a few suspicious points in his testament."

"Let's just hang him on the deck. Maybe that could draw out the other pirates."

"I don't know, do you think a pirate would save another pirate?"

The two guards outside his cell were chatting as if he weren't there. Or perhaps they didn't care about a 'pirate's' fate. Ja'far feigned sleep as he thought further about his course of action. Escape was the first thing on his priority list, but after that, he didn't know what his next step will be. The moment he escapes he would affirm his status as a pirate member and the navy would be after him. But he didn't want to return to the pirates' side either, no matter how much Sinbad had assured him that they would welcome him. Correction, no matter how much Sinbad would welcome him. He didn't know what the other pirates thought about him, especially after the little stunt he pulled back at the den. If he stayed behind though, death was imminent. The former of the two was the better choice.

After much deliberation Ja'far settled for forging an escape off the ship. While the navy searched for him, he would round back and hide on the ship. By and by they would have to give up finding him and return to the main land where he would immediately assume a new identity and start a new life somewhere else.

The biggest loophole in his plan though was escaping from the cells. His limited mobility and the guards stationed outside would greatly hinder him from obtaining any useful materials for escape.

Fortunately an unexpected change occurred in the afternoon. Ja'far was still plotting his grand escape when he heard shouting on the deck. His two guards ran out, leaving their prisoner unattended. It was the perfect opportunity for escape. Ja'far scaled the cell looking for any openings he could use to his advantage. Much to his disappointment, the cell walls and door were sturdy.

It didn't take long for the navy men to return with another prisoner between them. They were chatting excitedly when they pushed the last man Ja'far wanted to see into his cell.

"Hey, good to see you again."

It took all of Ja'far to not screech _why are you here_ at the pirate before him. If it hadn't been for Sinbad, he would not be trapped on a navy ship, cuffed without knowing what his fate would be in the next second and stuck plotting a poor escape plan. More importantly, he would have neared his final destination and would be looking forward to a sumptuous pay. Things would have turned out very different if it hadn't been for Sinbad. That imbecilic, moronic, heaven forsaken—

On the other hand Sinbad didn't even flinch with all the glares thrown his way, completely unaware of the colorful language racing through his cell mate's mind. He was just happy to meet the man again.

"Nice sleeping place," Sinbad looked about the cell.

"What are you doing here?" Ja'far seethed.

"Rescuing a damsel in distress?" Sinbad dodged a kick thrown his way. "You don't look too happy to see me." He tilted his head sideways and looked towards the cell doors, hinting with his eyes that the guards were still there.

Realizing that their little commotion had drawn the attention of the guards, Ja'far quieted down considerably. When the guards finally turned away, he mouthed: "How do you intend to do that?" Never mind that the cell walls were impenetrable, but both of them were cuffed and under scrutiny.

Sinbad grinned and inched closer to him. Ja'far immediately scooted back, staring wide-eyed at the pirate. Unbidden, the memory of Sinbad kissing him the first night came back. But Sinbad continued inching closer, though this time he switched to a more sober expression, signaling that there was something he wanted to tell Ja'far.

The clerk sighed in relief when he realized that the pirate wasn't about to do anything inappropriate for once. He let Sinbad approach him, even going as far as to hold himself still as the pirate leaned forward, looking like he was nudging the clerk affectionately. But Ja'far saw from this angle a glint of silver in Sinbad's inner shirt. His eyes widened when he realize it was a set of keys.

"How did you get that?" In his excitement, Ja'far forgot to lower his voice.

"What are the two of you chit-chatting about?" One of the guards shouted when he saw the suspiciously affectionate position between the two pirates.

"Mmm, reuniting with my partner." Sinbad planted a quick kiss on Ja'far's cheek and leaned back, allowing the keys to slip back into his shirt.

Knowing that this was only part of an act, Ja'far screwed his face to look neutral, though he knew by the burning sensation that his cheeks were red. The questionable choice of word made him cringe.

The guard turned away, muttering about pirates and their accursed behaviors.

Ja'far cocked his eyebrow at the other man. There was still the question of how they would escape once they freed themselves from the cuffs. Sinbad wiggled his brows back at him, telling him to be patient.

But just when he thought that there might be some sort of hope for escapade, it was dashed again when a navy came in.

"We have decided that only one of you is useful. If one of you volunteers to tell us the location of your den, we'll let you go and hang the other."

Ja'far looked quickly towards Sinbad. It was a tempting offer, but right now he was the one at a disadvantage considering that he didn't know their hideout. Sinbad, on the other hand, could easily betray him and have him executed. Ja'far also began thinking of a backup plan. He could lie and save his own hide. But not only would that go against his own sense of morality, he would also lose the opportunity to obtain the key. Could he trust the pirate…?

"What if the both of us don't tell?"

The navy guard looked torn for a moment. He hadn't expected that answer. Weren't pirates usually cowardly and more than willing to sacrifice their comrades in return for their own life?

As if sensing the guard's conflicted thoughts, Sinbad turned towards Ja'far and offered a reassuring smile. With that, Ja'far put his doubts to rest and followed the other's example.

"Neither of us will answer you."

Suffice to say the guard was upset about their decision and left them alone for the rest of the day.

* * *

**A/N:**

**Sorry for the late update, I was occupied with other things for awhile!**

** Lylia00: With how Sinbad turn up around Ja'far, I think they will just mistake him more and more as a pirate!**

** spiritleopard: Ah, sorry for the late update then! I hope you find this chapter enjoyable still!**

** Nato Apple: Of course I still remember you! :) I used Kouen's name because I couldn't think of anyone else appropriate at that time xD But glad you like the story so far and I'll try to keep writing!**


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Warning: Slight violence/gore in this chapter

As night spread its cover across the land, Sinbad became more and more excited. At first all he did was whistle to annoy the guards, then he started twiddling his thumbs, and now he was nothing less of rocking back and forth on his rear end. Even Ja'far who had resolved to ignore him found it hard to do so any longer.

"Stop moving."

"You are getting annoying."

"One more movement from you and I'll personally see to it that you can't move your thumbs anymore."

Regardless of what threat or comment Ja'far threw at Sinbad, the other completely ignore him. In the end Ja'far decided to try a question. "What did you mean when you say it is in my nature to join you?"

This time Sinbad stopped whatever he was doing and turned to look at his cellmate.

_Bingo._ "You said earlier that I will join you and your…people sooner or later because it is in my nature. What did you mean by that?"

"Have you ever seen yourself when you fight?"

Ja'far didn't expect Sinbad to respond to a question with another question of his own. He could only shake his head dumbly.

Sinbad sighed as if he already expected the answer. "On the first night you faced me with a gun I already notice you are not a simple clerk. There's too much fighting spirit in you. I was curious how someone with so much spirit would become a clerk, so I began getting closer to you. And after following you for a while, I realize you are very much like me back when I was still living on the continent. Because on the inside, you desire to become wilder, to be free from the constraints of society. You are not fit for a sedentary lifestyle."

Finished with his short speech, Sinbad went back to rocking back and forth, completely unaware of Ja'far's stunned expression. But the silence only lasted for a second before Ja'far regained his bearings.

"Don't think you know me just with that small talk," he spat, hoping to cover the slight tremor in his body. It was unnerving enough that someone could guess his desire; it was even more unnerving when said person only knew him for a few days. It was true that Ja'far didn't particularly like his current line of job. 'Boring' was his best description for the work, but the pay was fine, so he stuck with it.

"I am seldom wrong in my judgment of people." If he had, Sinbad wouldn't have survived to become the infamous pirate that people fear today.

"…"

Suddenly a small bird-like whistle was heard from the outside, sending Sinbad scrambling upright from his slouched position. The pirate's eyes glinted eerily in the feeble torch light as he crooned a few notes back. Silence descended for a few minutes before a short chirp replied. Satisfied with the answer, Sinbad began twisting his cuffs quietly. It didn't take long for the locks to click and the cuffs to pop off.

Ja'far sighed. This wasn't the first time Sinbad had surprised him. The man was not only sly, but he had skills to match as well. Somehow the pirate had use said skills to free himself from the cuffs.

Sinbad signaled for him to remain calm as he moved over and inserted one of the keys into Ja'far's cuffs. The metal fell away with a soft click.

However, their actions didn't escape the notice of the guard outside. "Hey—"

Loud thumps of multiple heavy objects falling on the deck followed by confused shouting attracted the guard's attention. Sinbad didn't waste his time as he loped towards the cell door and used the ends of his chains to loop over the guard's neck. With just a sharp tug, the guard was dragged backwards until his head collided with the bars and he lost consciousness. The rest became easy as Sinbad used the remaining keys to open the locks and escape outside.

From the moment he was arrested by the navy, Ja'far already felt his control over the whole situation slipping away. Whether it was the navy or Sinbad, he was being pushed around by the people around him. And the current situation was a perfect example of this. Freedom was suddenly before him, but it didn't go along with his plan – He couldn't just hide and return to the continent when there were pirates running about the decks and chambers. The only thing he could do was to follow Sinbad dumbly.

When they emerged from below deck, it was already well into the night. The full moon lit the whole deck in a silver glint, contrasting against the reddish glow of an upturned torch at the back of the ship. Thankfully the flames hadn't spread far, courtesy of the blood splattered about the decks. Ja'far noted that most of the bodies were that of the navies.

It was apparent that the king's men were no match against the pirates who would slip in and out from the waters beneath. By and by the captain ordered some of his men to shower cannons and bullets into the waters around them, but even then it didn't deter their enemies from coming back. The pirates had firearms as well, and compared to the dark, murky waters that hid them, the navy men standing on the well-lit deck were easy targets.

It didn't take long for the navy men to reduce to half the size of their original crew. Amidst it all Ja'far stood undecided. If the pirates win this fight, he would lose his only chance to go back to the continent. Somehow, that notion didn't sound as bad as he originally thought it was after hearing Sinbad's speech.

_Swish_.

Ja'far heard a rustle behind him and dodged by reflex, feeling the cutting wind of a blade passed close by his face. His eyes narrowed at the blue-color navy coat before him.

"Watch who you are cutting!" Ja'far tripped over a corpse and fell backwards just in time to miss another attempt at his throat.

Rather than halting, the navy increased the frequency of his attacks. There was only hate towards a lowly pirate in his eyes. Several times he almost sliced the white-haired pirate, but the other was nimble and twisted here and there, avoiding fatal hits.

"Tch." Although Ja'far didn't want to associate himself with the pirates, the fact was that he didn't have a choice here when the man was bent on killing him. He acquired another cut on his body after narrowly avoiding the sword yet again. Long gone was the need to explain his case to the navy, replaced slowly instead by the need to survive and an unquenchable anger. Since the navy didn't give him a choice, he would return in kind.

In one fluid movement Ja'far bent his back and brought his knee to collide against the man's stomach. When the other doubled down, the clerk didn't waste any time in retrieving the fallen sword and running it through the other.

Well, he was definitely not going to walk away clean now. But somehow it was also very satisfying. For the first time Ja'far felt like he was alive. The knowledge of using his own hands to fight for his survival and emerging alive was thrilling. He no longer need to worry about deadlines, about someone higher in hierarchy pressuring him, about whether the pay was enough to cover his living for the next few months. This was him fighting for his own existence and it had never felt so good before. No wonder the pirates enjoyed their lawless life.

So this was what Sinbad meant.

At a side Sinbad smirked when he saw the change in the white-haired clerk. There was a wild glee in the other's eyes and he could tell Ja'far was enjoying it. He watched as the clerk picked up a weapon and dived into the melee.

Sinbad shook his face with a smile. He had never been wrong in judging someone. He wasn't wrong this time either. As he turned his head towards the oncoming navy, his smile was instantly replaced with a cold sneer.

After the whole battle was over with and the navy crew was left half dead on the decks and the pirates looted whatever they could lay their hands on, Ja'far found Sinbad sitting by the side, lying contentedly against the mast. The pirate opened his eyes calmly and regarded the approaching white-haired clerk as if already expecting him.

Ja'far looked slightly uncomfortable with what he was about to say and Sinbad let him take his time. Finally, Ja'far looked directly at Sinbad. "I've been thinking about what you said and…the battle just now gave me a wake-up call. Let me join you."

Sinbad grinned, already knowing what the other would ask. He extended a hand towards the other. "Welcome then..."

"Ja'far."

"Welcome then, Ja'far the pirate."

**-END-**

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**A/N:**

Finally at the end of the story, huge thanks to those who have favorited, reviewed and followed this story. I hope you guys enjoy the story.

spiritleopard: Glad you liked it! Hope you have a great vacation!


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